Pro Sports Blogging » LT Murrayhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com
24/7 Real Sports TalkThu, 26 Feb 2015 04:06:23 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2Royal Upset, Grizz topple Spurs in 6http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/30/royal-upset-grizz-topple-spurs-in-6/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/30/royal-upset-grizz-topple-spurs-in-6/#commentsSat, 30 Apr 2011 09:55:45 +0000LT Murrayhttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=50038On a day when the world was abuzz about Prince William and Kate Middleton’s marriage, the Grizzlies joined the exclusive club of 8th seeded teams to knock out a 1. Memphis joined the Golden State Warriors as the only 2 teams to do it since switching to the 7 game format, and the Knicks and [...]]]>

On a day when the world was abuzz about Prince William and Kate Middleton’s marriage, the Grizzlies joined the exclusive club of 8th seeded teams to knock out a 1. Memphis joined the Golden State Warriors as the only 2 teams to do it since switching to the 7 game format, and the Knicks and Nuggets did it in 5. By the way, what in the lord’s name happened to Prince William? I remember this guy had more chicks swooning then J.T.T. in his prime. Now he looks older then my Dad with a deeper voice then Dikembe Mutombo. I was mortified in witnessing what the former boy wonder has become. Next to Willy, the rumored love child, Prince Harry, looks like Brad Pitt. On another note, why have these 2 bro’s kept the same girlfriends for years? Your princes for God’s sake. Enjoy it a little. Have a fling with the Princess of Thailand or jet off to Morocco and live with blonde triplets for a month. Something!

I remained on edge for the entirety of this game as San Antonio somehow managed to stay close, while seemingly being outplayed the entire time. Mike Conley managed to pick up a foul every 15 seconds of this contest, forcing Greivis Vasquez to play 23 minutes. One wold assume this could have costed the Grizz playoff glory, but Greivy filled in admirably, even leading them in scoring the first half and not screwing up as much as usual. When Conley did play in the first half, he was clanging jumpers and turning the ball over forcing me to yell every swear word in the book, probably making my neighbors think I was involved in a life or death situation. When Manu Ginobili hit that beyond half court 3 pointer at the buzzer to end the 3rd quarter I told my “roommate” to hide the guns and knifes, as I was in a very fragile state. You see, I’ve become increasingly attached to these Grizz as I’ve watched them blossom from cuddly cubs into savage monsters. It touches me in a special place, not the special place Michael Jackson touched little boys, but a special place nonetheless.

The fourth quarter got very interesting as the Spurs made one last run to take a 1 point lead with under 4 minutes to play. I had a terrible feeling inside that this might be going to a game 7. That was before Zach Randolph became the Prince of the south, hitting shot after shot, scoring 10 of Memphis’s next 14 points, not missing a single shot. 3 of them were just insanely sick, making it one of the best crunch time performances I’ve seen in my 28 years of existence. Lionel Hollins described it as the home team riding Randolph “like he was an English warhorse,” or Camilla Bowles Parker. It truly was even more impressive then Durant’s close out of Denver on Wednesday night. Randolph along with Tony Allen just refused to lose and I will never forget this night.

I would like to mention somewhere in this post that Darrell Arthur had to spectacular, consecutive, momentum altering alley-oop throw downs that almost brought me to tears. The first one came on And-1 basketball throw over the shoulder pass by O.J. Mayo, who by the way came in and did a nice job once again, even while not playing very many minutes. The second one came the next time down the court as Vasquez threw an almost equally impressive pass on the other side that Arthur threw down. That Pau Gasol trade is starting to not look so bad for the Grizzlies, though it did gift the Lakers consecutive titles. With the Gasol trade, they picked up his younger, debonair brother, Marc, a draft pick which they turned into Darrell Arthur, and the money available to trade for Randolph.

This season was coming out party for Randolph who has always been known as a selfish player along all his stops throughout his career. He now is an unquestioned team leader, has become a very good passer, and an elite finisher in the clutch. He was so impressive that Popovich sought him out during post game celebrations and had this to say about Zach. “I think he’s a hell of a talent and has really turned into a heck of a team player,” Popovich said. “I just wanted to let him know in my own light.” That says a lot coming from the Spurs head coach, who is highly respected around the league. You have to feel good for Randolph and you have to feel good for the Grizz. They were the better team in this series and look to shock the world once again starting Sunday night in Oklahoma City. Let’s shock the world.

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/30/royal-upset-grizz-topple-spurs-in-6/feed/1Spurs coming up shorter then a midget on it’s knees! Grizz take 3-1 series leadhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/26/spurs-coming-up-shorter-then-a-midget-on-its-knees-grizz-take-3-1-series-lead/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/26/spurs-coming-up-shorter-then-a-midget-on-its-knees-grizz-take-3-1-series-lead/#commentsTue, 26 Apr 2011 05:50:28 +0000LT Murrayhttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=49619There is no better feeling then having a superb game on your birthday. Of course I don’t know this from experience but I’ve witnessed the pure joy expressed by players after such a performance. Think about it; you’re the number 1 seed in the playoffs, all you have to do is win 1 out of [...]]]>

There is no better feeling then having a superb game on your birthday. Of course I don’t know this from experience but I’ve witnessed the pure joy expressed by players after such a performance. Think about it; you’re the number 1 seed in the playoffs, all you have to do is win 1 out of 2 games on the road against the lowly 8th seed. You had a great easter sunday including a memorable easter egg hunt followed by an incredible concert put on by Memphis’s own Academy award winning group Three-Six Mafia. What better way to finish off your 4 day weekend in the heart of Grizz nation then by having a series changing performance? Who knows, his wife might even find him attractive again after such an outing. Who is this birthday boy I’m speaking of? Tim Duncan, and not one of those things happened as “Timmy” had an embarrassingly weak 6 points and 7 boards. He’s probably banging on Tony Parker’s mansion right now looking for his wife.

I was crying tears of joy watching my Grizz blow out the Spurs as the continue to shock the nation. It was a total team effort as 5 Memphis players scored in double figures with an additional 4 players scoring 8 or 9 points apiece.

San Antonino played decently early on, going into halftime with a 50-48 lead. Whatever head coach, Lionel “Big Dog” Hollins said at halftime seemed to put the Grizz in a frenzy for their sellout crowd. On a quick side note this was only Memphis’s 6th sellout of the season!? How is that possible for a playoff team? What else is there to do in Memphis? Go the games people!! Anyway, the Grizzlies came out like a pack of rabid dog’s or better yet rabid grizzly bears to start the 2nd half and never let off the gas, outscoring the Spurs by 20.

To me, the turning point was when O.J. “Da Juice man” Mayo hit a 3 ball from the corner followed by a nice little “twin guns to holsters” celebration. Mayo then grabbed a deflection on the Spur’s following possession, dribbled down court and threw a perfect lob pass to the Grizz’s other catalyst, Darrell Arthur, who threw it down with the ferociousness only a grizzly bear could provide. Arthur finished with 14, draining about 5 deep jumpers touching nothing but twine, and Mayo added 11.

Mike Conley was another Memphis player who came up large as he scored 15 points dished out 7 assists. He made the Spurs pay for going under the pick and roll, hitting many long jumpers and seemingly ending every Spurs run. After each made jumper he would trot down to his side of the court with a smirk on his face reminiscent of the look a catholic priest carries after an all night “prep” session with his alter boys. After the game Conley had this to say; “I know a lot of people didn’t expect us to be here. It’s not like we were expected to be up 3-1 at this point. In our locker room, we’re just playing it game by game. We want to come into San Antonio looking to end it there. We’re focused and want to be able to move onto the next round.” That’s what I like to here Mikey!!

Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph only combined for 20 points but each had 9 boards and made some great passes. They are both leaders on this team and continue to make big plays.

This is very special group of guys and they are buying into whatever coach Hollins has to say. I’m loving the ride and stay hopeful that the official team of facebook, the Grizz, can finish this series off which would allow me the pleasure of covering them for at least 1 more playoff series. Happy Birthday Tim.

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/26/spurs-coming-up-shorter-then-a-midget-on-its-knees-grizz-take-3-1-series-lead/feed/0You Shall Not Pass!! Gandalf aka Randolph the black hits magical 3 to clinch Grizz victoryhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/24/you-shall-not-pass-gandalf-aka-randolph-the-black-hits-magical-3/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/24/you-shall-not-pass-gandalf-aka-randolph-the-black-hits-magical-3/#commentsSun, 24 Apr 2011 10:27:51 +0000LT Murrayhttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=49428In an NBA day filled with miraculous comebacks and countless highlight reel plays, the bald headed nut that is Zach Randolph may have hit the most surprising shot of the day. A broken play after a timeout led to Randolph being forced to take a 3 pointer with 5 on the shot clock and 41.6 [...]]]>

In an NBA day filled with miraculous comebacks and countless highlight reel plays, the bald headed nut that is Zach Randolph may have hit the most surprising shot of the day. A broken play after a timeout led to Randolph being forced to take a 3 pointer with 5 on the shot clock and 41.6 seconds in the game where he left Tim Duncan frozen like Frodo Baggins when he got bitten by the abnormally large spider. Z-Bo seemed to be the only one who was confident he would hit the shot and had this to say about it; ” It went in, but that’s the shot I work on and I practice every day shooting so it felt good when it left my hand.” I guess he practices shooting 3′s all day long even though he has only hit 8 of 43 on the season. This one was all net though and it was the game clincher.

The Grizz continue to go hard in the paint and the Spurs seem to lack an answer. They better come up with one quickly. As I wrote about in past entries, Memphis has played San Antonio well all season and all these games should be close. The Spurs have not even remotely begun to resemble a #1 seeded team. Hitting 2 three pointers all game long is unacceptable for a team that eats off of this trait. Tony Parker was supposed to dismantle Mike Conley Jr. but that has been nothing close to the case. With the Grizzlies big men dominating the paint as if playing against hobbits, Conley outplaying the Gollum clone that is Tony Parker, and the combination of O.J. Mayo and Shane Battier making big plays off the bench, the Spurs could be just the 4th team in NBA history to be eliminated by the 8th seed in the 1st round.

What has happened to the Spurs? Maybe former nobody’s like Gary Neal, George Hill, and Matt Bonner have come back to earth. Maybe Richard Jefferson realized he stopped being good 4 years ago and turned into even more of a choke artist. Maybe Tim Duncan is too old. Maybe Tony Parker is spending all his time sexting his teammates wives and maybe Manu Ginobili is spending all his spare time looking for a hair transplant specialist. I’m not sure what’s going on but I know the Grizz are for real and I know Grizz nation is a force to be reckoned with. The fact that they are doing this without Rudy Gay has got to scare teams when thinking about next season but the Grizz aren’t thinking about Gay right now. They are thinking about pulling off one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. Only it doesn’t seem like an upset. We are Grizz nation and this seems like our destiny.

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/24/you-shall-not-pass-gandalf-aka-randolph-the-black-hits-magical-3/feed/1Sugar Shane comes up big, Grizz win despite lengthy Bonner’s attempted heroicshttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/18/sugar-shane-comes-up-big-grizz-win-despite-lengthy-bonners-attempted-heroics/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/18/sugar-shane-comes-up-big-grizz-win-despite-lengthy-bonners-attempted-heroics/#commentsMon, 18 Apr 2011 22:19:12 +0000LT Murrayhttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=48931I’ve been known as something of a prophet for much of my life. The outcome of game 1 gave credibility to this label. Coach Hollins and myself wanted this matchup and now you see why. The Grizzzzz shocked the world(not me) with a 101-98 victory over the Spurs in San Antonio. This is a good [...]]]>

I’ve been known as something of a prophet for much of my life. The outcome of game 1 gave credibility to this label. Coach Hollins and myself wanted this matchup and now you see why.

The Grizzzzz shocked the world(not me) with a 101-98 victory over the Spurs in San Antonio. This is a good sign considering road teams that win Game 1 go on to win the series 56.6 percent of the time. Thank you John Hollinger for that statistic. Though Memphis is the 8th they have an identical record with the Spurs after January 1st. Think the boring fans of San Anton are nervous about some of these statistics?

We get it, we get it, the Spurs were without Manu Ginobili, the man with the worst bald spot in the NBA, but as Fire Marshall Bill would say, “Let me show you somethin!!” The Grizz got a horrible game out of Tony Allen, who has been their second best player since joining the starting lineup. This will not happen again. Baldy also won’t make any difference to the fact that they cannot handle to the Grizzly big men inside. The bald headed nut that is Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, and Darrell Arthur should continue to have their way with little Timmy Duncan and the red rocket AKA Matt Bonner. I will also tell you that there is no way the Grizz get called for so many fouls as the Spurs went to the line and shot an insane amount of free throws, 47 to be exact. There seemed to be a foul call on every possession and the Grizzlies still won. Hopefully someone on the end of the Memphis bench comes in and hammers Ginobili right on the elbow. Just kidding. Or am I?

I’m not gonna lie, I lost faith in my beloved Grizz for a minute when Matt Bonner hit 2 clutch 3′s in a row to give the Spurs a 2 point lead with 1 minute and 29 seconds remaining. Zach Randolph inexplicably sagged down on a driving Parker leaving “Bon Bon” for the first 3 then he hit the next one after San Antonio got a lucky offensive board, leaving him wide open. I thought it was the death stroke but then Memphis tied it, made a stop and Shane Battier hit a huge 3 which ended up being the game winner. I would have given anything to see him do the Sam Casell “grande marbles” dance after hitting that then get a tattoo after the game but Shane is such a gentleman. Richard Jefferson ended up with a scarily wide open 3 point shot to tie but choked as usual letting Memphis escape with a win. Grizz nation erupted and the rest is history. Hate or love it the underdogs on top. On to game 2 baby.

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/18/sugar-shane-comes-up-big-grizz-win-despite-lengthy-bonners-attempted-heroics/feed/0Can Grizz pull off first round upset?http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/15/can-grizz-pull-of-the-upset/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/15/can-grizz-pull-of-the-upset/#commentsSat, 16 Apr 2011 01:06:04 +0000LT Murrayhttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=48654The Grizzlies head coach, Lionel Hollins, has been accused of losing the last 2 games of the season on purpose to avoid playing the Lakers in the first round. How could you blame the big guy? Looks like he was thinking exactly as I was which shows what an intelligent young man Hollins is. As [...]]]>

The Grizzlies head coach, Lionel Hollins, has been accused of losing the last 2 games of the season on purpose to avoid playing the Lakers in the first round. How could you blame the big guy? Looks like he was thinking exactly as I was which shows what an intelligent young man Hollins is.

As I have stated time and time again, The Grizz just don’t match up well against the Lakers. They have played the Spurs well throughout the season and have a much better chance at the upset. Memphis has been taking shots for this so called tanking on purpose but you have to give your team the best chance to win and I believe they truly made the right decision. When I have to listen to Rick Reilly saying how you end up cursed for such a move, it just baffles me. Enough Ricky.

It will be easier to go hard in the paint on the Spurs as they lack the necessary “length” to stop it from happening. Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom possess magnificent “length” and considering Memphis can’t shoot 3′s to save their lives it seems to be an impossible quest. Speaking of quests, I was very disappointed with the new film “Your Highness.” It was watchable as I have somehow seen it twice already but I was just hoping for an instant classic. Combining funny people using English accents with ancient times is my dream come true. It had it’s moments but just didn’t come through for me. Another Danny Mcbride bomb. His movie with Will Farrell, “Land of the Lost,” was highly disheartening as well for me. No where near “Hall Pass” level.

The Spurs shoot quite a few 3 pointers but if they are at all off on these shots, I can see the Grizz winning in 7. I’m going to say Povavich has a slight coaching advantage over Hollins but the pockmarked old man can’t get on the court and play right? Tony Allen will have to continue his stellar play along with some nice bench work from O.J. Mayo, but we all know who the key is. Z-bo da bald headed nut AKA Zachariah Randolph is going to have to come out harder then Ron Jeramy in his latest film for the Grizzlies to take this one home. I’m talking like averaging 28 points and 15 boards a game. I’ve seen it in my dreams.

It all starts on Sunday. Grizz Nation, get out your old “Big Country” and Damon Stoudamire jerseys, get to your local bar and yell in Spurs fan’s faces all night long. Thats what Bryant “Big country” Reeves would want you to do. What a legend………..

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/15/can-grizz-pull-of-the-upset/feed/0Is “Not Winning” ever a good thing? Grizz blow game to Clipp Jointhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/05/is-not-winning-ever-a-good-thing-grizz-blow-game-to-clipp-joint/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/05/is-not-winning-ever-a-good-thing-grizz-blow-game-to-clipp-joint/#commentsWed, 06 Apr 2011 03:43:20 +0000LT Murrayhttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=47750Wow! What a horrible game. This thing was ugly from the get go but the Grizz controlled the game up until the 4th quarter when they bricked in a major way. Mike Conley led Memphis with 20 points and 4 assists and Marc “chubbs” Gasol added 14 points, 15 boards and 3 blocks for a [...]]]>

Wow! What a horrible game. This thing was ugly from the get go but the Grizz controlled the game up until the 4th quarter when they bricked in a major way.

Mike Conley led Memphis with 20 points and 4 assists and Marc “chubbs” Gasol added 14 points, 15 boards and 3 blocks for a nice all around performance. Zach Randolph inexplicably stopped trying to score in the second half which shocked me since he usually tries to give it to his former teams. They just couldn’t put the ball in the hole reminding me of Butler in the NCAA championship game last night which by the way was a huge embarrassment. What a joke of a game that was.A terrible end to a great tourney. Memphis shot 40 percent on the day, only hitting 1 three pointer the entire game. That’s not gonna get it done guys.

I always enjoy my guy Sean Tuohy, who was played by country hunk TIm McGraw in the hit film “The Blindside,” announcing the games. He compliments players on other teams and comes down harder on his home team players harder then most of these “homer” announcers I always have to put up with the NBA season ticket package. Add that with the fact that he fulfilled my life long dream of adopting a black athlete and giving him the support he needed to make it to the NFL. Without that family he would have been lost to the streets. Going forward with this topic I’ve always wanted a black child, selfishly believing white kids have almost zero chance of making it in professional sports in this day in age, and now that I’m taken by a white young lady my only options are to adopt or to have a baby out of wedlock. Now there is only so long I could keep a secret like that from my wife so I suppose adopting would be the best choice. I envy my friends Mike Mccarthy and Joel Phillips as Joel has a mixed race child already looking like a young Tiger Woods and Mike will have one in the next few years I’m sure once he is done cheating his way through law school. Unfortunately these kid’s wont be given much athleticism from their father’s side but heh there is always a chance. I think I’m going to adopt soon. I’ll even name him LT to continue the tradition. Back to the game……..

Another game starting with me being excited to see Blake Griffin aka “Strawberry,” ending with me being underwhelmed. He only had 15 points but did manage 14 rebounds in a decent all around performance. If he adds a jumper for next season he is gonna be special. Mo Williams has really steadied this team at the point guard position, and considering they gave up next year’s first round pick for no apparent reason, winning these late season games can be seen as a good thing, whereas normally I like to see teams tank to get a higher selection. They have a very nice core of players and I would bet big on this team making the playoffs next season. How big? Maybe not more then 20 bucks but really they could make it.

Speaking of Eric Bledsoe, the guy is ripped. He only spent one year at Kentucky but he looks like a man to me. I’m saying this in a completely non-gay way of course but it really was quite impressive. He’s gonna be a good player. Thunder fans must be sad that they inexplicably traded him for a future first round pick in this past years draft. Bledsoe would be a nice fit and give ‘the stick” aka Kevin Durant some motivation to get in the weight room. Get your protein up Kev!

I know I used “inexplicably” 2 times in this post but for some reason it’s on my mind like when MacGruber memorized that license plate. It just keeps going through my mind. It’s a good word. If I haven’t mentioned it before, watch that movie. Please.

Oh, I almost forgot. I haven’t even mentioned anything to do with my headline yet. What I mean by this is, is that the Grizzlies have faired very well against the Spurs this year and thats who they would seemingly play if they continue to sit in the 8th playoff spot. No matter how much myself and other fans want to see the Gasol brothers go head to head in the first round I don’t thing the Grizz have a legit spot at pulling off that upset. I do however, think they could defeat the Spurs as they matchup much better with. I had hope of catching the Blazers for the 6 seed but they are hot as well so that’s looking like it might not happen and the closest competition to catching them for the 8th spot, the Houston Rockets, lost tonight as well so they didn’t lose any ground. New Orleans, who has a 1/2 game lead over the Grizzlies is much weaker after losing David West, but maybe they can hold onto the 7th spot. The Grizz have been one of the best teams in the NBA over the last couple months but I just don’t like that Lakers matchup. They can’t be like Charlie Sheen every night and thats probably not a bad thing.

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/04/05/is-not-winning-ever-a-good-thing-grizz-blow-game-to-clipp-joint/feed/1Grizz go oh so hard in the paint, manhandle Warriors in 2nd halfhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/03/31/grizz-go-oh-so-hard-in-the-paint-manhandle-warriors-in-2nd-half/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/03/31/grizz-go-oh-so-hard-in-the-paint-manhandle-warriors-in-2nd-half/#commentsThu, 31 Mar 2011 05:21:53 +0000LT Murrayhttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=47066The playoffs are looking more and more like a certainty for the Grizz as they where victorious at home for the 5th consecutive time going harder in the paint then my boy Waka Flocka Flame. Memphis followed a lackadaisical first half effort and a bad beginning to the 3rd quarter with a 62-33 run the [...]]]>

The playoffs are looking more and more like a certainty for the Grizz as they where victorious at home for the 5th consecutive time going harder in the paint then my boy Waka Flocka Flame. Memphis followed a lackadaisical first half effort and a bad beginning to the 3rd quarter with a 62-33 run the rest of the way through.

I didn’t like seeing Memphis come out sloppy to start the game but sometimes that occurs when given a day or so off. They were probably out at the club with Memphis’s Oscar winner’s 3-6 Mafia poppin bottles gettin fly like a G-6. It’s playoff time but heh they’re in the NBA. You gotta enjoy it right? How often do they test for weed nowadays? Fortunately Golden State seemed tired from an overtime game the previous evening against the Thunder making it easier for the Grizz players to snap out their hazes and pound the paint.

The playoffs are almost a certainty at this point with Houston losing giving the Grizz a 3 game lead. New Orleans downed Portland, moving past them for the 6th seed as Memphis trails both teams by 1 game. Memphis has played the Mavericks tough all season so I wouldn’t mind that matchup whatsoever except for the fact that I’ll be forced to watch Mark Cuban jump around and constantly whine for the entire series. I would love to have an owner who spends money like Cubes but there is just something about him that puts me off. Like I’d like to see him beat up, possibly by Tony Allen.

Back to how hard Memphis goes in the paint; they scored a ridiculous 76 in those premises where Golden State was held to 50. The Grizz do lead the NBA in points per game in the paint but 76? Let’s just say the Warriors aren’t known for their defense.

Z-BO had another big game or I guess an average game for him statistically getting 20 points and 13 boards but adding in an unusual 6 assists. He really has become a much better passer as he used to be a black hole on offense. Tony Allen had 21, Mike Conley 20, and Darrell Arthur stepped up with 17-7. He truly is one of most underrated players in the NBA. O.J. Mayo had uuuuuuuhhhhh 0 points? Wow, what happened I thought he was finally getting into the swing of things then he drops the goose egg? The Juice man needs to get his mind right. If not for himself, then for me!

As far as the “Warriors” are concerned its another year in the lottery, a place where they have made many mistakes over the years. They have great fans up there and I’ll never understand why they dismantled the team after that incredible first round playoff upset of Dallas. They traded Jason Richardson for a draft pick which they used on toothpick Brandon Wright who they have since traded for God knows what and have gotten rid of many other promising players for no reason that I can see. Stephen Curry is a nice piece and so is Monta Ellis, who is the closest thing to Allen Iverson as there is in the leauge. The problem is they are both undersized to guard 2 guards but maybe that’s not the main issue. I thought David Lee would fit in their perfectly, and he has played fairly well but an early season infection in his elbow caused him to miss quite a few games. You know the one where he got a dude’s tooth stuck in his elbow. Ouch. Other then that I’m not seeing a ton of upside for this club but they play an exciting, fast paced game. Unfortunately they don’t win that often.

The Grizz have tomorrow off and then face New Orleans in a huge matchup which could decide playoff seeding. It’s gettin , it’s gettin, it’s gettin kinda hectic right now and I for one am enjoying each game. So much could happen in the next couple weeks as the Grizzlies could end up anywhere from the 6th seed to the 8 spot. I’m starting to have that good old fashioned feeling, not the one Lloyd gets in “Dumb and Dumber,” but one of an upset brewing. We are Grizz Nation and we go hard in the paint.

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/03/31/grizz-go-oh-so-hard-in-the-paint-manhandle-warriors-in-2nd-half/feed/5Enormous win for Memphis in possible playoff previewhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/03/28/enormous-win-for-memphis-in-possible-playoff-preview/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/03/28/enormous-win-for-memphis-in-possible-playoff-preview/#commentsMon, 28 Mar 2011 04:01:43 +0000LT Murrayhttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=46647I just got word that Lionel Hollins, head coach of the Grizz, read and loved my blog comparing O.J. Mayo and Billy Bob Thornton. He obviously took it to heart because O.J. “the juice man” was huge for the Grizz, even playing late in the 4th quarter. He hit 4/6 three balls helping lead Memphis [...]]]>

I just got word that Lionel Hollins, head coach of the Grizz, read and loved my blog comparing O.J. Mayo and Billy Bob Thornton. He obviously took it to heart because O.J. “the juice man” was huge for the Grizz, even playing late in the 4th quarter. He hit 4/6 three balls helping lead Memphis to the win over the struggling Spurs.

Zack Randolph has been showing the kind of heart lately, that frankly, I did not know he had. He’s the emotional leader of this team and he continually destroys San Antonio. He continued his dominance over the Spurs with 23 points and 11 rebounds including 2 clutch shots in the last minute and a half that basically won them the game. Big game for Z-Bo “the bald headed nut.” Can we still call him that even though he has some hair right now?

Tony, Tony, Tony, not unlike the music group with the same name but different spelling, was getting down once again with 23 points, 4 boards, and 5 steals. This guy should be named to one of the All-NBA defensive teams. He is always in the passing lanes and has been a major catalyst for the Grizz’s success the second half of this season.

This Grizzlies completed their important 3 game stretch against title contending teams going 2-1. I was hoping they could sneak in a win on the road and they did that as well as taking the Bulls to the final minute of the game. This team is coming on and playing extremely well together.

For the Spurs it was their 3rd consecutive loss as they struggle to play without Tim Duncan, who went down with a severely sprained ankle last week. Manu Ginobili went down in the 3rd quarter after banging his knee and never returned. He had 2 points as his bald spot continues to get worse by the day.

It was cool to hear Sean Elliot announce the game as I completely forgot about him. He was a big piece to 1999 Spurs championship team. He had an interesting career at one point getting traded to Detroit for Dennis Rodman and then getting reacquired by the Spurs a year later for Bill Curley and a future first round pick. He had a horrible year in Detroit but returned to form with the Spurs finishing a solid career there. He is also the only NBA player to play in a game after receiving a Kidney transplant.

This is all good news for Grizz nation as if the season ended today, these two teams would play. They split the season series 2 apiece and the 2 games the Grizzlies lost were by a combined 13 points, showing they can definitely hang with this team. I have to reiterate the fact that Memphis matches up much better with the Spurs then they do the Lakers. They are likely to pass New Orleans for the 7th seed which is not a good thing when factoring in their chances of coming out of the first round. The injuries to the Spurs make it even more likely they can be taken out so let’s hope we somehow get matched up against them.

This game gave me almost as much joy as listening to the Mel Gibson phone calls that he made to his ex-girlfriend. If you haven’t heard those do your self a favor and do so. As far as the Grizz go, this is our time. I feel as if Grizz Nation is a band of brothers and sisters who will not settle for defeat. We will help carry this team to the playoffs and beyond. Let’s get it.

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/03/28/enormous-win-for-memphis-in-possible-playoff-preview/feed/0This is what we, fans of the Grizz, call crunch timehttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/03/24/this-is-what-we-fans-of-the-grizz-call-crunch-time/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/03/24/this-is-what-we-fans-of-the-grizz-call-crunch-time/#commentsThu, 24 Mar 2011 06:23:56 +0000LT Murrayhttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=46184Grizz Nation are you ready? I said are you ready? Memphis picked up an important victory on the road against a championship contender further proving they are up to the challenge of knocking off one of the top seeds in the playoffs. I was worried about my boys as they had a ridiculously tough 3 [...]]]>

Grizz Nation are you ready? I said are you ready? Memphis picked up an important victory on the road against a championship contender further proving they are up to the challenge of knocking off one of the top seeds in the playoffs.

I was worried about my boys as they had a ridiculously tough 3 game stretch at Boston, at Chicago, and then back home for the Spurs. I felt if they won 1 of those games it would be good enough to hold onto their playoff spot. So far so good. They are now just a 1/2 game back from the Hornets and the 7th seed. They really would be better off staying where they are at though, as they match up much better with San Antonio then they do the Lakers. Tim Duncan is gonna be hobbling into the playoffs giving them an even better chance. Unfortunately the Grizzlies are a better team then the Hornets and will probably catch them and give them the almost impossible task of defeating the 2 time defending champs.

Memphis got some big minutes out of Leon Powe, who played on the 2008 title winning Celtics team. The other former Celtic, Tony Allen, had another solid all-around effort in beating his former team. I know you won’t believe this buy O.J. Mayo has been playing extremely well the last two games. He is the best shooter they have and he has been talking advantage of his increased minutes as of late.

I’m guessing Mayo is getting more minutes now that it’s official Rudy Gay is not coming back this year. They need another scorer so they are working him back into the rotation.

Nobody had a huge game for the Grizz but they had 6 players in double figures and played smothering defense on last season’s eastern conference champions.

After getting a big win this is what we, fans of the Grizz, call party time. If your not getting the references to “The Break-Up” your not winning in life right now. That movie is classic and needs to be appreciated. It is one of Vince Vaughn’s top 3 performances easily, maybe number 1. For some strange reasons there are no clips of this movie on youtube. This needs to be changed for the betterment of us all.

I’ll check back in after the Chicago game. For any of you die hard NBA fans, there is a great article, comparing the 2000 and 2006 drafts. Check it out if you want to go on a quest for knowledge. Draft blog

]]>http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/03/24/this-is-what-we-fans-of-the-grizz-call-crunch-time/feed/2O.J. Mayo and Billy Bob Thornton Share a Common Bondhttp://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/03/21/o-j-mayo-and-billy-bob-thornton-share-a-common-bond/
http://www.prosportsblogging.com/2011/03/21/o-j-mayo-and-billy-bob-thornton-share-a-common-bond/#commentsMon, 21 Mar 2011 05:29:37 +0000LT Murrayhttp://prosportsblogging.com/?p=45822Last night I lay awake in bed after a family filled weekend for which most of I was sick for. I decided to order a movie on pay-per-view and my friend Devin had told me the movie “Faster” starring “The Rock” and Billy Bob Thorton, was a good flick. I should have remembered this was [...]]]>

Last night I lay awake in bed after a family filled weekend for which most of I was sick for. I decided to order a movie on pay-per-view and my friend Devin had told me the movie “Faster” starring “The Rock” and Billy Bob Thorton, was a good flick. I should have remembered this was coming from the same guy who camped out overnight to be there for a special screening of “Behind Enemy Lines” with Owen Wilson. While it was somewhat entertaining there was not one bit of meaningful dialouge in the entire film. I was starting to get into details about the film but then deleted it as it is pointless for this blog and honestly I don’t want to try and make sense of that film again. It’s been a struggle.

My biggest question with this movie is why one earth Billy Bob Thornton took this role. I have to assume one of his baby momma’s is on the production staff or something of that nature. He is dull the entire film and never get’s into any kind of interesting character. What I am trying to say is that like O.J. Mayo of the Grizzlies, he is entirely underused in his role. This guy has held down countless classic roles in films like “Slingblade,” “Monster’s Ball,” the hugely underrated “Bandits”(I love that movie), Bad Santa, and even made films like School for Scoundrels and Mr. Woodcock watchable. After that sex scene with Halle Berry how can the man not be respected? He says nothing remotely funny or interesting in this film and for the life of me I can’t figure out why his skills where not utilized.

This is exactly the way I feel about O.J. Mayo and the Memphis Grizzlies. O.J. is Billy Bob and the Grizz are “Faster.” He came into the league after one year in college 18.5 points and 3.2 assists a game as a shooting guard that already featured some nice offensive weapons. He seemed like a building block. He was known to pull of highlight real plays from time to time, things that stay in your mind forever(kind of like Billy Bob’s sex scene). The similarities just keep on comin! He was an up and coming star. A guy with range, great vision, and a clutch free throw shooter. What more do you want out of your starting shooting guard. This year out of nowhere they benched him to try and have some offense of the bench. It has obviously affected him because he has hardly had any effect on their play as of late. They tried to trade him at the deadline for Josh McRoberts and a first round pick. This guy was the #3 overall pick 3 years ago and second in rookie of the year voting to Derrick Rose! They already got rid of #2 overall pick from last season Hasheem Thabeet. What are they doing in the front office?

One of the Grizzlies main problems right now, other then the fact that Rudy Gay is hurt, is that they have nobody that can shoot 3′s. Mayo has shot a career 38 percent and should be able to get many open looks with all the double teams on Randolph and Gasol. There must be something going on with the coaching staff and him as it looks like his time is up with the team. When Gay comes back I doubt Mayo will see the court at all. Some of this is on Mayo as when he is in the game he seems like he is not giving his all, just like Thorton in his latest movie.

Maybe these two need a break. Maybe they need to get together and question whether they have the passion for this anymore. But me personally, I blame the writer’s of the movie and I blame the General Manager and coach of the Grizzlies. Neither of these star’s should be in this situation. It’s sad that it’s come to this but Mayo has to find a new team and Billy Bob needs to find a new director to better utilize his skill set on the big screen. I mean this guy is so Angelina Jolie had to have him sexually 5 times a day and we will never forget that interview where they claimed they had sex in the car on the way there. She wore his blood in a capsule around her neck for god’s sake. The man has talent you can’t deny.

I’m shocked the Bulls didn’t give Memphis whatever draft picks they wanted for Mayo as he would have made the Bulls favorites to come out of the East no question. I’m shocked Thornton wasn’t given better material to work with but these are the cards they have been dealt. The bond they share is a painful one. I wish them the best.